alexander



i i.' B.- ALEXANDER. Wick Raiser.

No. 64.056. Patented Abril 23, i867.

N. PEFERS, PHOTD-LITHOGRAPHsmWASHINGTON, D C.

nite-h 'gratta gatnt fitte.

JOSEPH B. ALEXANDER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.v

i Letters Patent No. 64,056, dated April 23, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN LAMP-BURNERS.

TO ALL WHOM IT NIAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BELL ALEXANDER, of Washington, in the county of Vashington, and District of Columbia, have invented a. new and improved Device for Raising and Lowering the IVick in Coal-Oil or other .Oil-Burning Lamps, andof lling the fountain of the lamp with oil without unscrewing or taking oit' either the cone or burner of the lamp; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the constructionand operation of the same, -reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specication, in which- Figure l represents, in perspective, an external View of the wick-tube, With the device for-raisingand lowering the Wick.

Figure 2 represents a vertical section through a lamp-head with the wick-tuhe and device inserted in the proper place; the wick-tube also containing a cotton Wick laid in metallic plates.

Figures 3 and 4 represent two different plates, in perspective, which are corrugated on their hroad faces and match, so that one being narrower will slip into thel other, thus enclosing the cotton wick.

Figure 5 represents, 'in perspective, the two platesl O and P puttogether and enclosing a cotton wich.

Figure 6 represents a horizontalsection of the lamp-burner, showing,`in perspective, an isometrical View of the device for raising and lowering the Wick.

Figure 7 represents, in perspective, a view of a funnel, shaped in such a manner as to pass its smaller part through the Wicktube for the purpose of 'dlling the lamp-fountain with oil.

Figure 8 represents, in perspective, Va viewvof a lamp-burncr with the funnel inserted through the wick-tube. Oilis seen passing into the funnel from the spout of an oil can at R and into the lamp-fountain by its exit from the lower end of the funnel at M.

Similar letters of reference, where they occur in the several figures, denote like parts in all leases.

My invention consists in providing the wick-tube of the lamp with two sets of friction-collars, made of bra-ss, iron, or steel, with slightly roughened or minutely milled faces, .(see D D D D, fig. 6,) and setflrmly on metallic axles, H H, which axles, with their collars D D attached, set parallel to each other, one being on each side of the wick-tube so as to allow the collars D D of the one to press upon the wick antagonistically to the collars D D of the other through slots E E, tig. 1, made in each side of the Wick-tuhe T for that purpose. The collars D D D D being pressed towards each other and upon the wick by springs S S attached to the wick-tube T, and which are formed in such a manner as to act as journals for the suppijrt of the axles I-I I-I, and at the same time to press the axles with their collars D D D D towards each other so as to hold. the wick tightly grasped between the rough faces of the antagonistical collars D D D D. Upon one corresponding end of each axle is firmly attached a pinion, C C, andthese pinions arey so geared together outside of the wick-tube as to cause the axles H Il with their collars D D D D to move always in a contrary direction with each other, either turning their upper faces from each other to raise the wick, or, vice versa, to lower it. One o' the axles is made long so that its end free from gea-ring mayiextendi outside of the lamp-burner for the purpose of being operated by the button I rmly xed to it. And to make my improvement more complete, so as to allow the wick to be easily and instantly removed from-or replaced into the wick-tube T of the lamp, either for the purpose ofputting in a new cotton wick or oi filling the lamp-fountain with oil, as hereinafter described, I provide two thin metal plates, O and P, figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, with edges turned to match each other, one, fig. 3, being1nade narrower so that it will 'it with ease inside of the turned edges of the other, iig. 4, and thus make a metallic covering for the cotton wick W, altogether making a complete wick, O P W, iig. 5, ready for inserntiouinto the wick-tube T. The broad sides ot' these metallic plates O and P must be minutely roughened or corrugated where they come in contact with the friction-collars D D D D, and the turned edges of one must have one or more sets of teeth or indenturos to match and easily tit into corresponding iudentures in the turned edges oi' the other, (see K K K K K K K K, figs. 3, 4, and 5,) this to prevent their slipping upon each other after insertion into the Wicktube T. These plates are adjustable by readily adapting themselves to the thickness of the cotton wick, (as cotton wicks are manufactured o'f variable thickness,) and with the quality of slightly compressing the cotton wick7 as they do continually, capillary attraction is much increased. I also make a slot in one of the plates G, tig. 3, near the upper .en.d,.by which the cotton wick can he drawn upward with any pointed instrument when it is necessary to trim it'fwithout removing it from the lamp. By means of these plates O and P n new wick can be instantly supplied tothe lamp, or the wicletuhe '.l can be emptied'with facility so ns to allow the lampfountain to be filled with oil throuh the wick-tube T (without the necessity of unserewing or taking otf the lamp-burner) by means of a peculiarly shaped funnel, fig. 7, made or" brass, glass, or any other suitable substance, which I provide for each lamp, and make as an important and necessary part of my improvement.

The following are some of the most important advantages which my improvement possesses over the lampsv and their devices in common nso:

The wick O PWcan be raise-d or lowered with more ease, certainty, and accuracy, than by other known devices, and the cotton part of the wick will always maintain the shape and position inwhieh it has been trimmed, always rising perfect, und never pushing up first one corner and then another, (as is common in the ordinary lamps in 1155s,) shooting the flame against either one or the other side of the chimney, thus cracking the glass by heating itnvl-d'enly and unevenly. One cotton wick can be taken out and replaced by another instantly and with facility. Or., when the cotton Vwick in use has become too short, it may be made to burn entirely out simply drawing another after it in the plates O and P, so that the lower end of the old cotton wick andthe upper end of the new one will be in contact. Cotton wicks of dii'erent thickness are always subject to suh'icient pressure to promote and increase their capillary attraction by means of" the self-adjusting plates O and P. Tirel'amp-io-untain can be filled with oil, without unscrewing or removing the lamp-cone or burner, by means of the funnel, vdigs. 7 and 8, adapted to the purpose, thus saving the thread ofthe screw on the lamp-burner, which is rsoonworn out and becomes useless by often screwing and lunserewing. The whole combined improvement will give more ease, comfort, and economy to those who have its care than any other lamp, and will also give a more certain, perfect, steady, and reliable light; and through the augmented4 capillary attraction in the cotton wick 'will give the same light and volume of flame when the oil is low as when the lamp-fountain is full.

`To operate my improvement, I withdraw the connected-plates O and P from`the wick-tube T, and separating them I place a cotton wick ofl proper width in the narrowest, fig. 3, and then close the other, fig. 4, upon it. It is now ready for insertion into the wick-tube T, (see fig. 5.) I till the lamp-fountain with oil by inserting the small endof the funnel M, fig. 7, through the wick-'tube T, as seen infig. 8, where represents oil running from the spout of an oil can into the larger part of the funnel L, and through the smaller part-Minto the lampfountain below. Ou withdrawing the funnel I insert the wick, as prepared and represented by fig. 5, into the wick-tube T, pushing it down instantly with the fingers as far as required. As the wick O P W, iig. 2, passes S S, with the friction-collars D D D D, as that is old.

vdown through the wick-tube T it meets the friction-collars D D. D D, springs them apart, and is firmly grasped by them,and then by the said frietion-collars maybe raised or lowered at will by operating` the button I, as seen in figs. 1 and 6. When required to trim the wick without withdrawing it from the lamp, I raise it until the slot G in the plate P, iig. 2, comes above A, the mouth of the cone B, when lI cut off the top of the cotton wick in proper shape and then raiselitabout a half inch above the upper ends of the plates O and P by inserting the point of' some inst1u'ment;lil e a fork or scissors, or the point of a nail, into the cotton wick, through the slot G provided for that purpose, and thus pull it upward through the plates'to. the proper height to allow the upper ends of the plates O and P to recede slightly within the upper orifice of the wick-tube T, when the cotton' wick stands at the proper position for giving a full flame. The flame may new be increased or decreased in volume by operating the button I, figs. 1 and 6, as before described. i I l I I do not claim broadly the two axles H II, geared together by the pinions C C, andjournalled in the springs What I do claim as new, and as of my invention', is the wick-holder, composed ofthe corrugated plates O and P, with their turned edges and. indentations K K K K IQK K K and the slot Gr, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. i

I also claim, in combination with the above-described wick-holder, the device 'for raising and lowering the wick, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

I also claim the device -L M for filling the lamp-fountain with oil, in combination with the burner, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

J. B. ALEXANDER.

Witnesses:

D. BALLAUF, W. BALLAUF. 

